ABC Local Radio's Guide to Australian Birdsong


It's incredible how evocative birdsong can be. While listening to this wonderful CD set I was frequently thrown back in my imagination to a specific time and place. I suppose that so many of the events of our lives are accompanied, knowingly or not, by birdsong. Birds create the soundtrack to our lives, and unless we are bird-spotting nerds, we are probably not too aware of it. But on some more unconscious level we are obviously deeply affected by the sounds of birds, and these primordial songs are etched deep into our memories.
The 3 CD ABC Local Radio's Guide to Australian Birdsong was a gift from someone who, the moment they saw it, knew that I was the only person they could ever imagine enjoying it. And I will confess that I am something of a closet bird nerd. I can stop and look at rainbow lorikeets for hours, and when I was a youngster one of my very f avourite books was the mammoth blue Reader's Digest Complete Book of Autralian Birds, an item I imagine graced many an Australian family library in the 1980s.
I grew up in tropical North Queensland, and so on certain parts of this CD I was transported back to my childhood, hearing the very particular calls of birds in the wet tropics. At times I longed to be there for real, actually outside hearing these creatures sing.
Strange as it may seem, ever since I have received it I have had this CD set on high rotation. And a word of warning - playing it brings lots and lots of birds into your garden. Or perhaps I was just more sensitive to their presence and sound? At any rate, I felt that listening to this CD improved my surroundings immeasurably.
Perfect for ironing, cleaning and even meditating, if the idea of playing natural sounds doesn't freak you out too much (and my partner screams every time I pop on my "ocean waves" CDs), the ABC Local Radio's Guide to Australian Birdsong makes perfect ambient sound. Each CD covers a different part of Australia, along with an excellent and informative booklet describing each of the birds and their behaviours, appearance and habitat.
This is one for nature-lovers, people who like birdwatching and anyone planning a holiday in the Australian bush.
I love it.

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